Why should a button be a real button element instead of a div?
PICTURE THIS: DATABASE INDEX
Simple meaning
A real button gets keyboard focus, Enter/Space activation, and the right role for free.
WHY — HTML instead of guessing?
Why interviewers care about HTML:
on HTML.
the situation, the default choice, and one exception - that reads as experience.
Name the idea, why it exists, then one short example.
End with when you use it and one common pitfall.
STEPS — What happens step by step?
Before you speak the answer, walk the interviewer through these steps:
- 1A real button gets
keyboard focus, Enter/Space activation, and the right role for free.
- 2A div needs tabindex,
key handlers, and ARIA or it fails accessibility.
- 3I use button unless
the design truly needs a custom control.
- 4Give an example
One tiny concrete case you can say aloud.
- 5Common mistake
What juniors usually get wrong.
- 6Close
When you pick this over the alternative.
EXAMPLE — See it in action
Here's a short line you can speak, broken into clear beats:
Note: Adapt this scaffold to your own project — keep it under 60–90 seconds.
Key takeaway
A real button gets keyboard focus, Enter/Space activation, and the right role for free. A div needs tabindex, key handlers, and ARIA or it fails accessibility.